


So Pretty

by orphan_account



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 18:59:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9839639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Simon surprises Magnus during a spell, and the result is slightly unexpected.In other words, Raphael is a Good Catholic (TM) and Simon is adorably in love with him.





	1. Chapter 1

It had been an honest mistake. Magnus had just been practicing the spell, an old relic of times long past, when Ragnor was still just a Portal away. He hadn’t known that Simon had been honing his Vampire abilities when the whole loft was finally still and silent. So, when the fledgling had asked Magnus what he was doing, startling him just enough that the spell went haywire, Simon had taken the brunt of the spell. A loud bang rattled the floorboards and a huge cloud of sparkling purple smoke coalesced where Simon had just been standing.

“Magnus!” Alec called, panting as he appeared in the doorway, armed and already in a battle stance. “Are you okay? What happened?” Magnus cooed over his fierce, protective display.

“I’m… fine?” He frowned, patting himself down to be sure that there were no unfelt injuries before trying to peer into the opaque smoke in front of him. “But, Sheldon here, on the other hand…”

“Sheld- you mean Simon?” Alec sighed, rubbing at his forehead. A loud giggle interrupted whatever he was going to say next. Alec frowned and looked down at the general location of where the sound came from and felt a headache threaten his temples. There, in the now oversized grey tee-shirt and likely nothing else, sat a little boy with wild curls and two tiny fangs on display in a wide grin. Big brown eyes peered up at the two flabbergasted men as Alec cautiously approached Magnus’ workbench. The boy giggled again, his still pudgy hands covering his mouth as though to smother the sound.

“Alexander, darling, tell me, are you seeing a little boy in front of us?” Magnus whispered hoarsely. Alec nodded wordlessly, a muscle ticking in his jaw. It was only ten in the morning and already Alec just wanted to crawl back into Magnus’ bed and pretend that nothing else existed.

“Pwetty!” the boy mumbled through his giggles, pointing up at Magnus. In spite of it all, the Warlock preened a bit under such attentions.

“My, what good taste for a baby,” Alec rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. The boy however scrunched up his nose at the Warlock.

“No, Pretty Eyes. Not a baby.” He held up four fingers. “Simon is three.” Magnus blinked down at the literal baby vampire and tried to bite down on a giggle. Alec, on the other hand, tried unsuccessfully not to melt at the tiny vampire smiling up at them. He really was adorable.

“Yes, Magnus.” Alec tried not to grin wickedly at his lover. “Simon is a man. Not a baby.” The little vampire nodded vigorously, his thick curls bouncing wildly with the violent nods.

“My apologies, little man.” Magnus smiled sweetly down at Simon, who squinted up at him before raising his little arms up at Magnus, all seemingly forgiven.

“Where Rapha?” Simon asked after being plucked up off the ground. The little vampire used his new vantage point to look around for the Leader of the New York Vampire Clan.

“Rapha?” Alec mumbled, looking at a mildly surprised and all too wholly amused Magnus. “You mean Raphael Santiago?” Simon whipped around to stare intensely at the Shadowhunter, and Alec jumped, startling back a step at the sudden scrutiny.

“Rapha. You know where Rapha is?” Simon’s eyes widened and he slowly turned to look at Magnus, a wounded expression on his face. “You didn’t hurt my Rapha, did you?” Alec giggled helplessly at Magnus’ distinctly uncomfortable expression.

“Your Rapha?” Instantly Simon was sidetracked, and a dreamy expression in his big eyes.

“Uh huh! Rapha is the bestest ever. Even better than the Hulk, or Clary!” Simon grinned, his adorable little fangs indenting his lower lip. “He got a pretty smile too. And he’s nice to me.” Simon fidgeted with one of Magnus’ necklaces as he waxed poetic on Raphael virtues in the way only a three year old can.

“Sounds like a great guy.” Alec smiled, pocketing his phone from having texted Clary about the mishap.

“Yeah,” the three year old sighed dreamily, and Magnus shook with silent giggles. “But, Rapha is mad at me, you know.” Simon seemed to wilt a little at the thought. “But, that’s okay, cuz, I’m gonna-I’m gonna fix it. I’m gonna make it sooo much better.” Simon nodded, reinforcing his words.

“I believe you.” Magnus smiled.

“Good. Cuz it’s-it’s gonna happen.” His serious expression was somewhat marred by his adorably chubby cheeks and the single fang the seemed to be caught on the edge of Simon’s lower lip, creating a slight lisp in the boy’s speech.

“Mags, I texted Clary, she’ll be here soon. How about I take Simon out to the front room to wait, and you focus on figuring out how to reverse the spell?” Alec whispered in the Warlock’s ear as he sidled up to wrap and arm around Magnus’ waist. With a happy sigh, the Warlock seemed to melt a bit into the half-embrace before dumping the ruffled boy into Alec’s arms. “C’mon, Simon, let’s go out to the living room, and you can tell me more about this Raphael guy, okay?” Simon gasped as he looked up at the taller male.

“Oh, yes, Mister blue eyes!” Alec flushed and he could hear Magnus cackle from the other side of the room. He spun on his heel and strode out and down the hallway. Simon took a deep breath and began a very long and detailed list about why Raphael, the leader of the local Vampire Clan, and possibly the second most ferocious Downworlder in New York, was the prettiest and most lovable being on the face of the Earth. He rambled and gushed for the fifteen minutes it took Clary to be granted access to the Portal that connected to Magnus’ street.

“Alec! What’s going on?” she called, bursting through the front door. Her green eyes widened as she took in Alec holding a miniaturized Simon in his lap. The little Vampire blinked up at the red haired girl for a moment, his little hands pausing from where they were flailing about as he explained why Raphael’s hair was so pretty. “Simon?”

“Yes, Older Clary?” he squinted up at the Shadowhunter.

“Uh…” Clary raised an eyebrow at Alec, silently prompting for an explanation.

“Magnus was working on a spell.” Clary made a small ‘ah’ noise and no more was needed to be said. “He’s looking for a counter spell at the moment.”

“Heeeeeeey!” Simon whined, falling dramatically into Alec’s chest. “Will you take me to see Rapha?” His chubby fingers smooshed into Alec’s cheeks as he stared intently into Alec’s wide eyes.

“I don’t think that…” he trailed off at the wounded expression on the baby vampire’s face. Apparently proximity made it much more effective. Who knew?

“Will you, Older Clary?” Simon spun around, still looking, for all the world, like a kicked puppy. “Pretty, pretty please?”

“Alec…” Clary sighed, crossing the room to pick up her baby sized best friend. “He’s still a vampire. He’s gonna be hungry soon. Raphael is the most equipped to handle that.” Alec smirked at Clary’s unneeded defense of the Clan Leader.

“Then you get to take Simon to him.” Alec leaned back into Magnus’ couch. “You have some fences to mend with them anyway.” Clary gulped a bit before sighing, glancing down at Simon, who had been distracted by the bright red ponytail her hair was in.

“Let’s go, squirt.” “Not a squirt!” Simon protested, pouting.

“Where we going?”

“To meet with some very important people. And Raphael.” Simon gasped, smiling goofily up at the teenaged Nephilim, much to her bemusement.

“Rapha is just the greatest, ever.” He sighed, his little head falling onto her shoulder in a small swoon.

“Jesus.” Clary coughed, chocking on her spit at the hilarious reaction Simon had to Raphael’s name. “What kind of spell did Magnus use?”

“Well, it was apparently supposed to be some kind of reminiscence spell, kind of like a playback of fond memories, only I think Simon messed up the casting when he startled Magnus.” Alec scratched at his eyebrow with his thumb for a second, eyeing Simon who continued to sigh dreamily every so often as he thought of Raphael. “I can only assume that it created some kind of de-aging spell.”

“And the Raphael thing?” Clary raised her eyebrows.

“He’s three. He has no filter, and no inhibitions to stop him from saying what he’s thinking as he thinks it. We all knew that he had a thing for Raphael based off his reaction to his banishment from the clan, which obviously hasn’t changed.” Alec shrugged, unconcerned. Clary reluctantly sighed and turned to go.

“You know, my life had been so normal a couple of months ago.” She muttered mutinously to the still swooning Vampire in her arms. Simon gleefully ignored her. “No crazy fathers, no brothers, no weird emotional crises, nothing but you and me and the whole summer ahead of us before college.” Clary strolled towards the still open Portal and thought of Hotel DuMort, disintegrating through the inter-dimensional doorway and re-materializing in the main lobby of the abandoned hotel. Simon perked up a bit in her arms. His big eyes taking in his new surroundings curiously. A low shush of sound was the only indication that the Vampires had arrived, Raphael at the forefront of the mob. Simon gave a tiny squeal at the sight of his leader, his tiny hands covering his mouth as he wriggled desperately out of Clary’s arms, darting around to hide behind her legs.

“Fairchild. What are you doing here?” Raphael spoke coolly, derision a subtle undertone in his voice as he picked nonexistent lint off his expensive suit jacket.

“I have someone here who kind of needs your help for the time being.” Clary swallowed her mild distaste for the man in front of her and reached behind her to try and grab at Simon. He smacked her hands away, and she sighed in frustration.

“Why should I help you, or anyone related to you, for that matter?” Raphael arched an eyebrow at the girl and his Clan murmured in agreement behind him.

“Look, it’s nothing bad, or even remotely dangerous, okay?” She was starting to get impatient at the situation as a whole. Being around Raphael stirred up feelings of resentment, towards him for his role in Simon’s death, and herself for going through with the Turning.

“I don’t believe you.”

“And I don’t give a shit!” Clary scowled, and a loud gasp sounded from behind her as a tiny Simon swirled out from behind her to point at her. A fiercely disapproving look settled on his cherubic face, and Clary couldn’t help but feel amused at him in spite of the situation.

“No! Bad Clary! You be nice to Rapha!” he reprimanded seriously. Raphael staggered in shock and the Clan went absolutely still. All eyes were on the miniature Vampire scolding the Shadowhunter in front of them. “You hear me, missy? Be nice! Especially to Rapha!”

“Okay, okay, sorry Simon.” Clary placated, raising her hands palms out in surrender, unwilling to argue with a three year old.

“Simon?” Raphael choked out, his eyes wide and confused and Simon flushed a bright pink as he looked back at the Clan Leader, ducking his head and glancing up through his eyelashes at the other Vampire.

“Hi, Rapha…” he mumbled shyly, wringing his tiny hands together.

“Well, I’m just gonna… yeah, bye! I’ll be back with an antidote later!” Clary called over her shoulder as she booked it out of the hotel while the Clan was distracted by the utterly adorable fledgling in front of them.

“ _Dios mio_ …” Raphael groaned. Simon wilted slightly and the Clan just kind of cooed softly at him.

“I’m really sorry, Rapha…” Simon’s big eyes stared up at his Clan Head, welling up with tears and a pitiful expression on his face. “I know you hate me-“ Simon hiccupped a little sob. In a matter of second Simon was bundled up in Raphael’s arms and sobbing weakly into his shoulder as Raphael rubbed his back and hummed softly to his baby.

“Well, looks like we got our fledgling back.” Lily sighed, smilingly lightly at the sight of her Clan Leader and his de-aged love. A rumble of agreement flittered through the crowd. “It was too quiet anyway.” Grumbled someone from the crowd. Lily watched as Raphael sped up to his room, a fond smile curling her lips, and the crowd began to slowly disperse, getting ready for their various plans for the night.

********

“Shhh, baby.” Raphael hummed, rocking the shuddering form in his arms gently. “It’s okay, shhhh, now…”

“N-nooo!” wailed the boy. “Y-you h-hate…” Simon clutched Raphael’s suit tighter as new sobs broke from his little chest.

“No, _mi amour_ , I could never hate you.” Raphael promised, rubbing the thin back soothingly as he pressed little kisses to the boy’s temple. They hadn’t really been anything concrete before Simon had freed Camille, but Raphael had already been mostly gone on the boy anyway.

“Y-you d-don’t?” Simon sniffled, hiccuping softly as he pushed back to look at Raphael’s face. Raphael smiled at the boy and shook his head. “O-oh…” Simon blushed and buried his face in Raphael’s chest once more. “So pretty!” Simon whispered, and almost instantly was asleep as he cuddled impossibly closer to Raphael.

_“Dios_.” Raphael stared down at the tiny body in his arms in disbelief. “I’m a good Catholic. I don’t deserve this.”


	2. Chapter 2

The loud insistent buzzing of Raphael’s phone is what woke him on a Saturday at nearly four in the morning, a couple weeks after Simon had been restored to his proper age and then vanished in a storm of flailing limbs and half-stuttered, half-shouted apologies and explanations. It had honestly amused Raphael to no end, and he hadn’t minded the two days it had taken Magnus to finally find a proper cure to the de-aging spell. Simon had clung to him ruthlessly, even going so far as to bare his tiny fangs at Clary multiple times when her temper got the best of her. Raphael had shamelessly cuddled the baby Vampire for it.

“What?” Raphael sighed into his phone, utterly uncaring who it was on the other end. This had been his only night off since Camille had been released almost four months ago. “Hey, Raphael!” Magnus’ voice burbled through the phone.

“So. I may have given Shannon one too many Bloody Mary’s. Annnd he’s going to need you to come and pick him up.”

“ _¿Lo que la mierda real, Magnus?_ ” Raphael almost whined at the thought of crawling out of his soft bed and flashing over to Magnus’ no doubt extravagant party.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry, Raph!”

“ _Dios_. I’ll be there I five minutes.” Raphael sighed gustily as he hung up on his oldest friend and stared up at his ceiling, willing himself to find the motivation to move. He found some in the thought of a drunk Simon doing something monumentally stupid because, as everyone who had ever met the fledgling knew, Simon was just that clumsy. Flinging open his bedroom door he sped past a couple members of his Clan, vaguely noticing the subtle baring of their necks in a show of respect as he passed. It was an old tradition, one that hadn’t been followed when Camille had led the Clan. It conveyed the highest regard and respect a Clan held for its Leader, and Raphael felt his chest warm in fondness at the thought.

He arrived at Magnus’ loft in under five minutes, and seriously annoyed by the loud thrumming bass that seeped out onto the street. Feeling slightly underdressed I his sweatpants and Henley, Raphael ducked through the crowd, muttering angrily in Spanish every time someone groped him as he passed by. And then a giggling Simon fell onto his chest, a highly unamused Alec standing behind him. “Simon, what did you do?” Raphael muttered, a fond smile on his lips as Simon clung to his torso.

“He would not stop singing.” Alec groaned tiredly, glaring at the lovesick pile of awkward that made up Simon Lewis. “It wasn’t even a song! He sang Pablo Neruda to himself over and over and over!”

“I apologize?” Raphael questioned, completely unsure that Simon’s drunken singing could elicit such a deeply traumatized response from the Shadowhunter, especially considering just who it was he was dating.

“Just…” Alec rubbed his face with his hand, before jerking his head to the left. “IZZY! NO! I SWEAR BY THE ANGEL, CHILD! Just take him home, please.” Alec stalked off, a crazed gleam in his eyes that Raphael only remembered seeing when his brothers and him had done something really stupid and mama had found out.

“Alright, Simon. Come on, time to go home.” The swaying body in his arms stilled at the sound of Raphael’s voice so close to Simon’s ear. Raphael felt Simon’s hands clutch his shirt tightly as he turned his head further into Raphael’s neck.

“Home?” the slurred response was small, and Simon shuffled a seemingly impossible half step closer to Raphael. Any closer, the older Vampire mused, and Simon would be attempting to fuse their cells together unsuccessfully.

“Yes, baby. Home.” Raphael firmly untangled Simon’s arms and gripped one hand tightly in his own as he led a stumbling fledgling back out to the sidewalk and away from the party. “Can you run, do you think?” Simon hummed a bit, tilting his head to the side before shrugging an easy smile on his lips. Raphael’s dangerously slow heartbeat thudded in his chest.

“Dunno, Rapha.” Simon swayed closer, the shy boy from before gone. “Gonna carry me if I can’t?” the line would have been smooth, Raphael swallowed a chuckle, if Simon hadn’t had to slur his way through it.

“Obviously, _idiota_.” Simon grunted in displeasure.

“Not _idiota.”_

“No?” Raphael smiled secretly as Simon’s head shook rapidly. “Baby, then.” Simon sighed happily, a fond grin curling his mouth as he seemed to soften at the pet name. Raphael smoothed Simon’s curly hair away from his eyes and in one swift motion tugged Simon off balance and over his shoulder.

“Oh G-!” Simon choked at the sudden motion. Raphael cackled gleefully and took off.

“You better not vomit on me, baby.”

“Okay…” was the weak, strained response from the drunk boy over Simon’s shoulder. Raphael’s pace only slowed as they breezed through the doors at the front of the hotel. Taking a smoother, more sedate pace he meandered up into his room, grateful for the lack of prying eyes at this time of night. Just as Raphael went to free Simon from his perch over Raphael’s shoulder, he froze. A warm hand squeezed his butt once, twice, three times before letting go, followed by the sounds of Simon’s helpless giggles. Raphael gulped in air he really didn’t need and surrendered Simon’s weight to his mattress.

“What are you doing, baby?” Raphael crossed his arms self-consciously.

“I touched the butt!” Simon giggled before sighing dreamily. “It’s a nice butt, Rapha. But you knew that. ‘Cuz it’s your butt. You have a nice butt.”

“Thank you?” Raphael raised an eyebrow at the random changes in mood the fledgling seemed to be cycling through. Raphael sighed and reached out to tug Simon’s shoes off his feet and fling them in the general direction of the door to his room.

“No, Rapha. Thank you.” Simon smiled dopily up at his Clan Leader. Only to squawk when Raphael went to unbutton his jeans.

“Relax, baby. Unless you’d rather sleep in your jeans, you should probably take them off.” Raphael lifted his hands away quickly, stepping back and crossing his arms as Simon’s face lit up at the suggestion. He smiled fondly as the Vampire writhed around on the bed to peel the loose jeans off his body, having significantly less coordination than he had when he had put them on in the first place.

“Okay!” Simon enthused, wriggling under the blankets once his jeans went sailing off the side of the bed, leaving him in boxers and a soft tee-shirt. “Now, c’mere, Rapha!” Raphael was even more amused to notice the little bumps of his toes wiggling excitedly under the blanket. Raphael walked around the bed and crawled in next to the drunk fledgling, laying on his side, and facing Simon a few feet away. Raphael thanked his stars that he had gotten a room with a rather large bed.

“Go to sleep, baby.” Raphael smiled, and Simon went pink. He slurred something unintelligible into his pillow and was instantly unconscious. Raphael marveled at the speed with which the other fell asleep under various circumstances. “ _Te amo, idiota_.” Raphael watched Simon’s peaceful face for a few minutes before feeling the very first dregs of sunlight beginning to whisper at him.

*********

Raphael became aware to the world with the feeling of gentle fingers carding through his hair and a really slow heartbeat thudding in his ear. The next thing he noticed was a pair of legs tangled up with his and a heavy arm draped over his waist. Humming in sleepy approval at the smell of cinnamon and caramel wafting to his nose from his bed mate, he tilted his head up a bit to look at Simon. Who then let out a soft noise and Raphael’s eyes fluttered closed again at the gentle pressure of Simon’s lips against his. Still loose and sleepy, Raphael simply melted against Simon’s chest and the arm around his waist tightened slightly, holding him to Simon’s body.

“Rapha.” Simon whispered against his mouth, lifting the hand attached to the arm around his waist to stroke his knuckles down Raphael’s cheek. “I love you.”

“I know.” Raphael smiled, and Simon stilled for a moment, his eyes blinked down at Raphael in shock and an utterly elated grin spread across his face.

“Jesus, you’re perfect.” Simon laughed, the Holy name dripping through his lips without notice in his elation.

“Thanks for noticing. Now go back to sleep.” Raphael smirked, peeking up at Simon through his eyelashes, a strong surge of contentment and affection flooding him as Simon pressed his uncontained smile into Raphael’s messy curls.

“Boss!” Lily called, slamming his door open without knocking. “We got a situation!” Raphael is completely unashamed to admit that he whined petulantly into Simon’s collarbone before jerking himself up onto an elbow to scowl fiercely at his lieutenant. Simon shuffled onto his back to also look at Lily.

“What?” Raphael growled. Lily paused to take in Raphael’s bed-mate and the dopey grin on Simon’s face before she arched a brow and smirked wickedly at her leader.

“Oh. I see.” Raphael furrowed his brow in confusion as Lily stepped back into the hall way. “Never mind, boss! I’ll handle it!” Raphael glanced down at the prone Simon, flushed from their confession and giddy with his happiness and Raphael’s rumpled state. Only then did it dawn on him that Lily had thought that he had gotten lucky last night. With Simon. Raphael groaned in steadily mounting horror. Lily was the biggest gossip in the clan. With this tidbit being about him and the fledgling, with whom she ‘shipped’ him (Raphael still had no idea what ‘shipping’ meant, what did mail travel routes or sea-faring vessels have to do with him and Simon?), there was no way that half the Clan didn’t already know.

“You Han Solo’d me…” Simon murmured, pressing a pillow over his glowing face, and Raphael felt the horror melt away for a moment as he watched the giddy Vampire giggle to himself.

“You’re so weird, baby.” Raphael sighed and pressed a kiss to the side of Simon’s neck before rolling out of bed, intent on getting a glass of blood before getting ready to face a long day of paperwork. He tugged open his bedroom door, only to meet the crowd of curious faces staring back at him and attempting to glance around both him and the door frame to see if Simon really was in his bed. Raphael flushed and slammed the door shut. A very audible murmur of approval drifted through the door as Raphael cradled his face in his hands.

“ _Dios._ I am a GOOD CATHOLIC. I DON’T DESERVE THIS!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unashamed use of google translate for a few things. Utterly unashamed.  
> Lo que la mierda real, Magnus? : What the actual fuck, Magnus?  
> Dios: God  
> Idiota: Idiot  
> Te amo: I love you

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry. I just. It was an adorable thought and then I saw a post about Raphael going DIOS I'M A GOOD CATHOLIC I DON'T DESERVE THIS. And. Fluff.


End file.
